Academic Freedom

CAUT actively defends academic freedom as the right to teach, learn, study and publish free of orthodoxy or threat of reprisal and discrimination. Academic freedom includes the right to criticize the university and the right to participate in its governance. Tenure provides a foundation for academic freedom by ensuring that academic staff cannot be dismissed without just cause and rigorous due process.

With universities now under access to information legislation in all provinces and federally, there is a growing number of requests for academic staff records. Find out what rights and obligations academic staff have when asked to turn over their records.

On 11 November 1997 the General Conference of UNESCO adopted a Recommendation concerning the status of higher education teaching personnel. This document outlines the road to the development of the Recommendation.